Can proper water intake lower your LDL cholesterol?

High cholesterol is primarily a dietary issue, not a drug issue. Contrary to pharmaceutical advertising, the cure for high cholesterol, apparently, is not found in a pill. Part of the cure may be found in your faucet. Today’s excerpt explains.

Although demonized by advertisers, cholesterol plays an important role in regulating metabolic functions and maintaining cellular balance. Both HDL and LDL cholesterol are necessary for good cellular and circulatory health. Problems arise when the ratio of HDL to LDL becomes unbalanced as a consequence of physical inactivity and unbalanced nutrition. When cells become dehydrated, the cell walls thicken to preserve fluid balance. In the process, cholesterol production is increased, and more cholesterol is released into the circulatory system.

Hydration is vital to good circulatory health. Inadequate water consumption decreases blood volume, impacting arterial pressure. When extra cholesterol is released into a depleted bloodstream, it settles on arterial walls rather than being flushed through the body. Arterial cholesterol buildup eventually hardens into plaque, robbing arteries of their natural elasticity and compromising blood flow and oxygen delivery to the cells. Too much cholesterol on the cell walls can completely block arteries, leading to heart attack or stroke.

Water also plays and important role in digestive health, facilitating the passage of food and waste through the system. Your liver produces LDL cholesterol, often labeled the “bad” cholesterol, to produce bile acids to aid digestion. In a healthy body, after performing its role in bile production, LDL is rounded up and returned to the liver for future use. However, inadequate hydration, coupled with low-fiber, chemical-laden processed food, causes a digestive backup, prompting the liver to produce more cholesterol in an attempt to break down undigested food. The LDL then enters the circulatory system and builds up on arterial walls.